Northern Parkway Project, Pt. 2, Begins 2017

The second segment of a 12.5-mile roadway through the Northwest Valley, which will carry more vehicles and allow for faster speeds, kicks off next year.

Glendale City Council heard an update last week on the Northern Parkway project, which will connect the central and western portions of the city, reducing congestion and facilitating traffic flow from new developments in the western area.

The project first surfaced in 2001 when a Glendale Citizens Advisory Committee saw a need for a regional east/west route west of I-17. The road in the vicinity of Northern Avenue will connect Loop 303, Loop 101 and Grand Avenue through Glendale, El Mirage, Peoria and portions of unincorporated Maricopa County.

The parkway will have limited access with overpasses at major intersections. The project is on track for completion by 2025 when the bulk of the funding expires.

The first four miles between Loop 303 and Dysart Road opened for traffic in 2013.

Last year, grade-separated interchanges were completed at Litchfield and Reems roads and landscaping completed between Sarival Avenue and Dysart Avenue.

Work will begin in 2017 on the transformation of a 2.5 mile stretch from Dysart Road to 111th Avenue into a four-lane road with two lanes in each direction. Maricopa County Department of Transportation is the lead agency.

The construction is expected to be completed in 2019.

Future sections include six thru lanes with turn lanes and six intersection improvements from 99th to 91st avenues, six-lane limited access arterial with turn lanes at major intersections from 99th to 111th avenues and additional turn lanes at major intersections from 91st to Grand avenues.

The $328.6M project is funded 70 percent by regional funds from Proposition 400, a countywide half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2004 that expires in 2025. The remaining tab is split among the project partners, Glendale 40 percent; the county, 30 percent; Peoria, 20 percent and El Mirage 10 percent. To date, $126.9M has been paid.

Glendale’s share of the cost is $34.8M,of which the city has already paid $31M.